Dominate Me
by I wanna be Jacob's imprint
Summary: Edward and Bella married but he couldn't give her what she needed...only one person could...the one she didn't choose. But, if she came back, would he make her beg, spank her, or both?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own Twilight nor the characters that are recognizeable within this story. We all know that Stephenie Meyer owns...although, since she obviously doesn't love Jacob, like she loves Edward, she should let us Team Jacob ladies (and men, if there are any) have him!**

**A/N: ****Okay, this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction so I probably could use all the help that I can get...if there is anyone, who's interested in being a beta and/or prereader for this story, please let me know, whether in reviews or messages or whatever! **

**This is a Jacob/Bella story...there may seem like there's a lot of Edward/Bella right now but it soon shall pass...please bear with me! Now, on with the show!**

**Chapter One**

She should've known. He couldn't give her what she needed. He'd never be able to…there was only one person who could be whom and what she needed…

8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8

The first night of her honeymoon was bliss. It was a night of stark contrasts, etched in her mind. Black and white, soft and hard, dark and light. Hot and cold…

Bella Swan, now **_Bella CULLEN_**, could feel the contrasting temperatures flowing over her skin…the sultry island air, lazily fluttering the sheer curtains on the open windows, and Edward's cold, icy body on top of hers. Her breasts, goose pimpled and slightly peaked, pressed against the hard planes of his chest. His hard thighs squeezed tightly between her supple ones. The stark chill of his rigid member, sliding through the drenched petals of her mound, sent her into a frenzy.

"Please! Please…" Bella whimpered, her head thrashing from side to side.

"You're not ready yet, love," Edward whispered, his cool breath gliding across the shell of her ear. He then, drew his lips in a meandering path down her upper body. Stopping at her breasts, he licked and suckled one, then the other, careful not to break the skin. Her fingers combed through his already tousled bronze hair, cradling him to her chest. Lips pursed, he blew cool air over the wetness he left on her nipples, causing the skin to pucker and tighten into peaks.

"Edward…" she whined, her fingers tightening in his hair.

He moved his mouth lower, lips ghosting over her quivering abdomen, and down to her weeping mound. Edward inhaled and growled, causing Bella's eyes to snap down to his. He looked up at her, eyes black with hunger and lust.

"What are you doing?" Her voice shaking with want and, if she was being honest with her self, a minute amount of fear.

He didn't answer, instead lowering his eyes do the sight before him. The aroused flesh, engorged and throbbing with every beat of her fluttering heart, was calling to him. The smell of her arousal, which seemed to surround her like an aura, was intensified here. All of his senses were hypnotized, mesmerized, and sharpened. He could hear, and almost see, the blood pulsing and rushing to her mound.

He had to taste.

With another sharp inhale, Edward dove in, tongue lapping at Bella's core and devouring the nectar that was flowing profusely. Bella's hands, that were once combing through his hair, tightened and pulled the strands, almost to the point of being painful.

"Oh! OH GOD! Yes, Edward…" she groaned, back arching off of the bed. Edward wrapped his arms around her thighs, successfully keeping her lower body still and opening her legs wider for his assault. Her essence was unlike anything he'd ever tasted, it was exquisite. He swirled his tongue in tight circles around her clit, never quite touching it. Her huff of exasperation had him chuckling against her core, the vibrations causing her eyes to roll into the back of her head.

"Oh fuck!" she cried out, causing his still black eyes to snap up to her flushed face. He'd never heard her use such profanity before; it aroused him even more. He then unwound one of his arms from her thighs and brought his hand up to join his mouth at her core. He let up in his attack on her body, stuck his middle and ring fingers in his mouth to wet them, and eased them into her slit. Her hips bucked up, from the sneak attack, the pleasure, and the startling cold of his fingers. His mouth, which had been warmed by the heat of her body, returned to her core. His fingers started sliding in and out slowly, curling up towards her belly button, while his tongue resumed its assault on the outside. The iciness and curling from his fingers and the flicking of his tongue against her clit set her body on fire. Bella released Edward's hair and brought her hands up to pull at her nipples. The collective sensations were a tempest and her body was the ship caught in the storm.

"Oh fuck…FUCK!" she cried out as the tension, that had built up inside of her, released and slammed through her entire being. Her body burned hotter than she'd ever felt before, bringing Edward's face and hands up to a more natural temperature; she could barely feel the cold anymore.

"Now you're ready," Edward said huskily, his onyx eyes burning with unsuppressed lust. He climbed back up her body, and positioned himself at her opening. He kissed her thoroughly, his tongue pushing its way into her waiting mouth, her essence and his honeyed taste combining and flooding her mouth. She groaned and moved her hands from her heaving chest to his back, where she proceeded to claw at it.

"Please, Edward, please! No more teasing!" Bella whined, bucking her hips against his. The bucking, combined with the slickness of her entire core, caused the head of his member to slip in, drawing a combined groan from each of them.

"Bella, love, this is going to hurt…a lot," he said, through gritted teeth, "please refrain from moving your hips. Perhaps we should count down so you'll be ready?"

"No, Edward, let's just get it over with…like ripping off a bandage," she panted, gyrating and swaying her hips under him, causing more of him to slip in. Suddenly, the head of his member plowed through her barrier, causing her to gasp, in pain, and him to growl. The pain started to subside, due to the chill of his skin, leaving a satisfying fullness behind. She experimentally rolled her hips and gasped at the pleasant sensation.

Edward, on the other hand, was deathly still. The scent of her blood, combined with her arousal, swamped his senses and awakened the beast within him. He warred with himself, trying to overcome his bloodlust, but the more she gyrated, the more aroused she became, and the more aroused she became, the more her blood rushed throughout her body.

He and the beast roared simultaneously.

Edward snatched her wrists from around his waist and pinned them above her head with one of his hands. He brought his other hand to her hip, to tilt her pelvis up, and started to slam into her. Bella's breath rushed out of her at the impact of his thrusts and she brought her hips up to meet his. She was shocked; she'd never seen this side of Edward before, but was more perplexed at her reaction to this side of him…she loved it!

"Fuck me!" she screamed. Her demand caused Edward to growl, release her wrists, and pull out.

"Turn over onto your front," he commanded and watched as she obeyed. As she was turning over, he spied the blood that stained the sheets. This only incensed the beast further.

"Up." He patted the swell of her butt. She obliged.

"Arch." He pressed the middle of her back down and she complied.

"Spread." He placed the palms of his hands on the insides of her thighs.

When she complied with all that he demanded, he thrust into her without warning, causing her to jolt forward. He placed one hand on her hip and the other, placed in her hair, wrapping it around his fist. He, then, started thrusting into her again, each thrust gaining force and momentum until the slapping of her backside against his stone thighs, her moans, and the feral growls coming from deep within him, were the only sounds that could be heard.

Bella wasn't able to hold out much longer, her release swiftly rebuilding within her like molten lava. Edward released his hold on her hair and brought his hand down to join the other one to grip at the skin on her hips. He drove into her, unrelenting, until, at last, she came; shrieking and spewing forth like a volcano. With one last thrust and a roar, Edward joined her, his hand releasing her hips to to snake out and grab a pillow from the head of the bed to rip and bite into.

"Oh my God! That was…" Bella gasped, while collapsing down on the bed. Edward slid out of her and rolled onto the side of her, caressing her sweaty back.

"Amazing," he finished for her.

"Yeah…" she mumbled, fatigue making it difficult for her lips to form the word. She was out before he could even attempt to start humming her lullaby.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: We all know that we don't own the Saga, especially me, because if I did, I would've grown a pair and let Jacob tell Bella and Edward to go take a flying leap._**

**_A/N:_****_ Well, here we are, at the second chapter of this story...I'm not really happy with this chapter, but some stuff that happens in here, sets the stage for later events...sort of a filler chapter, if you will...oh, and I'm still looking for a beta and prereaders so, if you're interested, PLEASE let me know! Oh, and thank you for the reviews...I've only gotten 5 of them but a bunch of visits and hits...even so, I'm still appreciative, so, thank you to those of you who've alerted, favorited, reviewed, and even read my story! Now, on with the show!_**

**Chapter Two**

The sunlight shone through the many windows in the room, warming Bella's skin and filtering in through her still closed eye lids.

The warmth reminded her of someone…someone that she was trying hard not to think of, especially on her honeymoon. **_Jacob_**. His name somehow flew out of the drawer that she'd thought that she'd locked tight…the Jacob drawer. Right on the heels of his name, flew images: his smile, his russet skin, his soulful and expressive brown eyes. The same eyes that saw right through her, past her lies, her flaws, and still loved her anyway; right down to her heart and soul. The very same eyes that, even in wolf form, still shone with the love that he had for her. She missed him so much already. Even though she'd married Edward, she still loved Jacob, and she knew that she'd been so selfish and the worst kind of monster to him. She'd used him, emasculated him, humiliated him, and lied to him. The turn that her thoughts had taken made a tear roll down into her ear and a sob ascend from the pit of her stomach, to her still closed mouth. She tried to stifle it but it was too late.

"Love, I am so sorry!" Edward said disgustedly, from her side.

Bella's eyes ripped open and she whipped her head toward the sound of his voice. She'd been so absorbed in her own thoughts, she hadn't even realized that he was in the room.

"Why?" she asked, confusion clouding her tormented thoughts of Jacob.

"Aren't you in pain? Isn't that why you were crying?" He asked, confusion wiping some of the disgust and agony away from his face.

"Um…should I be?" she questioned, sitting up, grateful that he didn't know that she hadn't really answered his question honestly. It was then that she felt the soreness between her legs and in her stomach muscles. It wasn't painful, just like she'd used muscles that she hadn't before; a good workout.

"Edward, it's nothing that a long soak in a hot bath won't fix," she said, reassuringly.

"It will take more than a long soak to fix what I did to you," he said, dejectedly.

Now she was getting a little mad. "What are you talking about?"

Edward flopped back onto the bed with his arms covering his eyes. It was so unlike him that Bella was taken back momentarily. He then spoke, in a voice so low, she had to tilt her head toward him and strain to hear, "Go look in the mirror and then we'll talk."

Bella threw the covers back, stood up gingerly, and padded to the bathroom slowly.

She noticed the eagle's nest that was her hair first. Then, "what the hell is up with all of these feathers?"

Edward might have smiled at that, if he hadn't been so miserable. "I had to bite something…better the pillows than you…" he trailed off.

Bella then let her eyes rove over the rest of her body. Finger and hand shaped bruises on her breasts, her ribcage, around her waist, her wrists, between her legs. Then she turned around. Her hips had finger shaped ones. Not so bad, she thought, until she saw her butt and the backs of her thighs. Two huge, purplish-black bruises covered the backs of her thighs and her butt like odd colored biker shorts.

"Oh my God," she breathed. She then tried to think back to the night before. Had she been hurt or hurting at anytime? No. She only hurt when he entered her completely…other than that, she'd enjoyed every minute of it. Especially when he started fucking her! OH. That's where the bruises came from…

"E-Edward, it's okay, I'm okay, and they don't hurt," she stuttered, lying through her teeth. Now that she'd had time to think about it, the bruises started throbbing painfully.

"Okay…well, maybe nothing a long soak, some Tylenol, and your body temperature won't fix," she amended.

"Love, my body is going no where near your body for the rest of our time here…I could've killed you, or worse, TURNED you!"

"Edward, calm down…you didn't…you took out a pillow instead. And just what do you mean, 'your body is going no where near mine?' Isn't that what honeymoons are for? That also means that we won't be able to sit together, sleep together, or SLEEP together!"

"Bella, now you're overreacting…of course we'll sit together and you'll sleep in the same bed as me, even though I can't sleep. But, there'll be no more "sleeping" together," Edward clarified.

"B-b-but-" Bella spluttered angrily.

"Now, now, love, there's plenty of other things to do with our time here," he countered smugly. He was older than her…he knew all about coercion and persuasion…he could get her to do anything he said.

Or so he thought.

Until, later on, she walked into the room, wearing some little black lacy, satiny number that did wonders for her skin.

That night, and every other time they made love, Edward was careful to never again lose control. There were chaste kisses, careful touches, and gentle lovemaking. Bella enjoyed the sex but deep down, she ached and yearned for the roughness. She dreamed of her wedding night, and often woke to attack Edward, who had to slow her down, or to relieve herself in the shower.

It was often, in these dreams, that the marble arms of her husband, turned into the scorching, russet, muscle-banded arms of Jacob Black.

**Two Years Later**

"Edward, I speak with you…PRIVATELY." Alice hissed and raised her eyebrows to emphasize the kind of "conversation" they needed to have.

"Okay, Alice," Edward replied as he disentangled Bella's arms from his body. They, along with Emmett, had been sitting in front of the large flat-screen television in the family room, watching 'Weird Science'. Emmett's loud guffaws rang throughout the house, and perhaps miles down the road, after Gary's drunken episode at the bar and confronting Wyatt's brother, Chet.

"This movie is classic! Kelly LeBrock is hot!" Emmett clarified.

"Shut up, Emmett," Edward said, as he fluidly stood up from the couch.

"Seriously, she's way too hot for those two nerds," Emmett continued, "Did she just say that she was in the middle of a gymnastic routine, when the littlest dweeb fell asleep?"

"Dweeb, Emmett? Seriously, you've been around for a while now, you couldn't come up with a better word? I guess all of your graduation caps are for show, after all!" Bella teased.

Emmett made a noise that sounded like a cross between a scoff and a wounded moose, which made Bella fall into peals of laughter.

Edward shook his head, and his mouth turned up into a smile, as he followed Alice out of the room. His foot barely made it over the threshold of the dining room before his mind was bombarded with, and shrouded in, a black dense fog.

"What, in God's name, was that?" He hissed, warily.

_**Bella's future,**_ Alice thought.**** **_I haven't seen it for sometime now. _******

"How-wh-when?" Edward stuttered.

_**It's been flickering since you two got back from your honeymoon. I have no clue why…I haven't seen anything of the Volturi in a while. And the only time I've ever experienced this with her, is when she was with the dogs before you went to Italy.**_

"The dogs? You think that this has something to do with them or do you think that there's another threat?"

_**I haven't seen any other threats. It has to be them…do they know that Bella's still human?**_

"I don't know…I don't think that she's been in contact with Jacob so I couldn't say…you think that they're the threat or is it something else?"

_**I don't know but it has me worried**_.

With that last thought, Alice slowly walked up to her room, leaving Edward to wonder if he should or shouldn't let Bella know what's going on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: ****We all know that we don't own the Saga. Although, if I did, I'd be swimming in a pool of money like Scrooge McDuck and Jacob would be my cabana boy. And be dressed in nothing but a loincloth...bringing me shots of chilled tequila on a silver platter...**

**A/N: ****Okay, folks...I just want to get my thank yous out of the way...I really appreciate all of the hits, alerts, favorites, and reviews I've gotten so far...it means a lot to me...it lets me know that my work is appreciated. I still don't have as many reviews as I do alerts and favorites, but it's all good. I still haven't decided on a posting schedule, either...I'm just posting when I finish a chapter, so you guys should be giddy that you're getting it "hot off the press" or hard drive. Whatever...you all know what I mean. I'm STILL looking for betas and prereaders, so just let me know. Now, ON WITH THE SHOW!**

**Chapter 3**

Three years had passed since Alice told Edward about Bella's future. He hadn't told Bella, in hopes of it being a fluke, but to no avail. Inky black, and dense, fog. It almost gave him a headache whenever he looked; Alice, undoubtedly, had it worse, seeing as though it was her vision. There was one new development, though, that didn't do anything to reassure Edward: himself, happy, with a different woman; he'd moved on, gotten married again, and, this time, she's already a vampire! What in the hell was going on? The image flickered statically but was becoming stronger as more time passed.

Not only that, but he and Bella had grown apart. They scarcely made love anymore, and if they did, it was only after she'd awakened from a dream that had her respiration up so high and her arousal so strong, people could probably smell it outside! He sometimes asked her what she was dreaming about, but she always blushed and said, "Nothing."

They've started fighting and arguing about the littlest things; Bella, once, made him leave their bed because he was 'too cold'…TOO COLD? He's been this way since before they met each other; she used to love it, but how he's 'too cold'? He had to try to fix his marriage before he lost his Bella forever. But he had to be sure that she wanted it, too.

He'd do anything for her.

8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8

Bella had to get out of this house because she felt like she was going crazy!

As she paced around the room that she and Edward shared, she thought about how she'd been feeling and reacting lately. She was unhappy; the only time she felt better was when she went back to Forks to visit Charlie, when she had her 'honeymoon/Jacob dreams', and when she talked to her friend, Angela.

The latter had better hurry up and call her with the location to this "munch" they were supposed to attend tonight

She hated shopping with Alice, she hated the glaring and furious looks from Rosalie, and all of the tortured looks from Jasper. As long as she'd been with the Cullens, she thought he'd be used to it by now! Edward's "velvety smooth" voice was even starting to grate on her nerves. He spoke to her like he was placating a petulant child and as if he knew what was best for her; had he always been this way? Lately, they'd been arguing about the dumbest things. The other day, she'd woken up to him watching her sleep. As soon as she'd opened her eyes, he'd smiled and said, "Did you sleep well, love?" She'd retorted, exasperatedly, "It would be even better if you'd stop watching me like a hawk!" With that, she stalked off to the bathroom to shower.

She still loved him, but she wasn't so sure that she was in love with him anymore. She was older, wiser, and she'd grown; she had started to see the glaringly obvious mistakes she'd made, when she was eighteen, that she couldn't take back and make up for. She was too young to get married, and she CERTAINLY shouldn't have gotten married when she was so torn between two people; she could see that now. She shouldn't have allowed Edward to run her life for her. That DEFINITELY had run it's course! She didn't want to be frozen at a certain age for the rest of her life, never moving forward, and not being able to look back and remember. But she didn't want to be the only old person in a family of perpetually young 'people'. She loved the person that she'd become and the things that she'd accomplished.

But, she was torn.

Torn between trying to make the marriage work and living her life for herself. She had never had that chance and now that she was married, the window of opportunity had diminished significantly. She definitely didn't feel like her own person, living in the house with her husband and his family; **_their family. _**Without her realizing it, her mouth twisted sardonically as she thought about "The Family". Guilt and shame immediately flooded through her. Gosh, she felt so ungrateful! They'd accepted her as a daughter, loved her, and supported her in any endeavor she decided she wanted to pursue. They had even picked up and moved to make it easier for her to attend the school that she wanted.

They had all relocated to Seattle and she'd attended the University of Washington, gotten a degree in Early Childhood Education and gotten certified in the state of Washington to teach Kindergarten. She never thought that she'd say it but she loved kids. She'd been so sure, when she and Rosalie had the heart to heart before she and Edward had married, but now, she wasn't so sure anymore; her students had grown on her and make her want things she thought she didn't want. She'd never be able to have kids with Edward. That, in itself, was a tragedy. She often thought back to the vision that she had, when she kissed Jacob, before the newborn fight. The two black haired, russet skinned children running into the forest, laughter trailing behind them. That's what she wanted. She could just hear _**HIS**_ voice now, telling her that he was so happy that she'd finally realized that life was worth living. _**Jacob**_.

_**Jacob.**_ She still dreamed of her wedding night, but in it, she hadn't married Edward…it was Jacob. Jacob, who commanded her. Jacob, who took her body to heights she didn't know existed. Jacob, with his blazing touch, driving out of her mind. Driving her crazy with want and need. Making her body ache with the need to see him, to touch him, for him to make her his. She always woke up from these dreams with her heart racing in her chest, body saturated with sweat, and so horny, it almost always ended up with her in the shower, or with Edward. She'd never told him what her dreams were about, though.

It had been five years since she'd last saw Jacob. All she knew was that he'd taken off after he healed from the injuries he'd sustained during the newborn fight and hadn't been back since. She asked her dad about him every now and then, but the only thing that Charlie would ever say was, "he's fine…did damn good for himself, too", along with eyeing her knowingly. No elaboration, no explanation. She hadn't talked to, nor seen anybody from the La Push in so long, she was sure that they knew she had moved away. She didn't go down to La Push with her dad when she visited, even though he was a regular since he and Billy still fished religiously.

She and Angela saw and talked to each other regularly. Angela, after high school, had attended the University of Washington, and it was in the library, that she and Bella had run into each other. They'd went to lunch to catch up with what the other was doing. After that, they were inseparable. They shared lots of secrets between the two of them. Bella told Angela about the problems that she'd been having with Edward.

**_Flashback:_**

"Do you still love him?" Angela asked one day, while they were having lunch at a small café one day.

"Yes, I do…but I'm not sure…" Bella trailed off.

"That you're IN love with him anymore." Angela finished.

"Yeah," Bella admitted.

"Well, why don't you tell him?" Angela questioned.

Bella eyed her half finished food before answering. "I don't know how…we've been together for so long, and I don't want to hurt him. He's still in love with me and I owe it to him to try to make it work. But I don't know how to do that either."

"Well," Angela began, "it's not fair to either of you. Your all isn't into it anymore…maybe you need to try something different…a change of scenery, if you will."

"Yeah," Bella agreed, "we haven't had sex in a while…and when we do, it's good…but it's just the same every time. It's not really exciting or heart racing…it's just gentle and slow…very…"

"Vanilla," Angela supplied.

"Yeah…wait, what?" Bella questioned.

"Vanilla sex. You and Edward have very vanilla sex. No frills, no bells and whistles…just regular, plain sex." Angela explained. She went on to tell Bella about the BDSM lifestyle that she'd been engaged in for the past two years. She was a Sub, she and her Dom had play days, and she wanted to be collared.

"Wait! Collared? What in the hell is that?" Bella exclaimed, nearly choking on her food.

"When your Dom gives you a collar, it's essentially stating, to others, that you belong to him…like an engagement ring, well, sort of."

"So, let me get this straight. You have a guy, you try out all of these sexual activities together, and, if he deems you worthy, you get a collar, instead of an engagement ring, to let everyone know that you belong to him?" Bella's eyes got wider and wider as she ticked off each item on her finger. Then, she let out an unladylike snort, "You've got to be shitting me!"

"Nope…but it's not as bad as you make it sound…"Angela tried to clarify, "your Dom takes care of you, protects you, and takes your body to places you didn't even know it could go! He does what he does, with your best interests in mind."

Bella had let Angela's explanation sink in. She had to admit, it sounded interesting, intriguing, and, if she was being honest with herself, something she might like to try. Maybe it would put some spark back into her marriage.

But, with her thoughts and dreams being about Jacob, she wasn't quite so sure if that's what she wanted anymore.

"What are you thinking about so hard, Bella?" Angela asked, bringing Bella out of her musings.

"What you've told me…I'm kind of curious as to what goes on with the people who engage in that kind of lifestyle. I want to see how they interact with each other," Bella admitted.

"Well, I could give you an inside look. We do this thing, called a munch, that Doms, Subs, and BDSM couples attend, to mingle with like minded people, and to do scenes. There's a gathering here, in Seattle, but you have to be invited. I'll email you, to let you know if you can attend, and I'll call you with the location. We'll meet up and I'll then give you the invitations. How does that sound?"

"Well, I'm still kind of nervous, and it seems like that's a lot to go through to attend, but you'll be there, right?" Bella asked hesitantly.

"Yeah…there is a lot that you have to go through to be able to attend a munch, but it is SO worth it. Yes, I will be there…and you can meet my Dom! So, what do you say?" Angela pressed.

"Okay, I'll do it!" Bella agreed.

_**End of Flashback**_

'Thinking of You' By Katy Perry brought Bella out of her lengthy stupor. Given the direction her thoughts had taken her, the ring tone was quite fitting. She picked up the phone to see 'Angela' flashing across the screen.

"Finally!" Bella exclaimed, pushing the answer key. "It's about time you called…my fingernails were about to be goners! I've already worn a path in the floor!"

"Stop being so dramatic…do you want the information, or not?" Angela asked.

"Obviously, if I was about to do damage to my hands, seeing as though I might've already done irreparable damage to the floorboards…where is it and what do I wear to these types of things?" Bella questioned.

"One thing at a time, woman! Okay, I have the invitations for you…are you sure Edward wants to go? This doesn't seem like something he'd go for! Like you said, he is very 'vanilla' and this might not be his cup of tea."

"Don't worry, Ang," Bella said, "I talked to him…he knows that I've been unhappy lately, so he's gonna go because he knows that it's something that might interest me."

It was true. As they were laying in bed together a couple of nights ago, Bella told Edward about the party that Angela had invited them to. He'd agreed to go, albeit reluctantly. He said, unenthusiastically, "If it would make you happy, then we will attend the party." When Bella started backpedaling, he gave her a wan smile and said, "No, really, if you want to go, we'll go." She then thanked him with a hug and a chaste kiss but, before she turned over to go to sleep, she saw something flash in his eyes...

Guilt.

Apprehension.

However, before she could call him on it, it vanished as quickly as it had come. **_He was hiding something…_**

Angela's voice broke Bella out of her musings.

"Okay, if you say so. Now, about your attire for this occasion…something that you'd wear to a dinner party…a nice cocktail dress, something like that. The guys wear tuxes or suits…there'll be dinner and dessert…after that, you'll be free to wander around, introduce yourself to others, ask questions, etcetera. Okay, now let me give you the directions…call me when you get there, so I meet you outside with the invitations…."

As Angela rattled off the directions and she absentmindedly wrote them down, Bella thought about what she was about to get herself into. What if Edward didn't go for it? Would it destroy their marriage? What if she enjoyed herself too much? Despite these conflicting thoughts, she felt like she _**had**_ to attend the party. Almost as if something was drawing her there.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: We don't own...this, I know, because if I did...there would be no sparkly ones that dazzled unsuspecting townfolk.**_

_**A/N: Well, here we are, at Chapter 4...it's Spring Break for my Pre-Kindergartener so, instead of me being on some beach in Florida, drinking up tequila shots and being served Mojitos by hot Cuban guys, I'm uploading this chapter...while there's a pile of laundry sitting in the corner of my couch, waiting to be folded and put away, my kids are fighting about who gets to play with what stupid toy that I may very well step on, in the middle of the night, puncture my foot, and bleed all over the carpet, while walking to throwing said toy in the garbage! I hope you guys enjoy all the hard work and duty shirking that I've been doing! Still looking for betas and prereaders! Oh, and thanks for the alerts, reviews, and favorites! I appreciate and do my best to respond to you all! Now, on with the show!**_

_**Chapter 4**_

As Bella and Edward followed the directions to the location of the party, they didn't speak. There was an uncomfortable tension pressing down on them in the confines of the car. Bella rolled down the window, in an effort to let some of the pressure seep out; it didn't work. There was nothing that could be said to make the situation better, except for truthfulness on both of their parts. Therefore, instead, they sat there, both stubborn and unwilling to be the one that caved first. As the ride continued on, the car eating up the miles of asphalt between the house and their destination, they thought about the events that had transpired earlier that evening.

_**Flashback:**_

Bella stood in their enormous dressing room, beside the racks of her and Edward's clothes that ran the length of the room. Looking at herself in floor length mirror that covered the entire back wall, she held three different dresses up to her body before deciding on one that complimented her pale skin; a dark blue silk, above the knee cocktail dress that seemed to have tendrils of smoke imprinted onto the material. The belt and short, waist-length jacket, that completed the dress, were made of the same material. Her shoes were black satin pumps with an open toe, topped with large dark blue beads in the shape of a bowtie. She'd put her thick, mahogany hair in a simple up do, light makeup on her eyes, dark blue jeweled chandelier earrings adorned her ears, and a simple black satin clutch completed her ensemble. She gave herself a once over before nodding at her reflection; she looked damned hot!

Edward was dressed impeccably in a charcoal colored two-button suit, white button down shirt, a blue tie with swirls throughout the fabric, and sleek black dress shoes. He was putting on his silver and black cufflinks when Bella walked out of their dressing room, into the bedroom, in her dress; he almost swallowed his tongue once he saw the pattern on her dress. It reminded him of Alice's visions…**_inky, black, dense fog. _**He quickly averted his eyes and went back to his task, but not before Bella saw the look on his face. Before she could question him, he interrupted her.

"You look nice…I've always told you that blue makes your skin look astonishingly radiant."

Bella, too perplexed by his previous reaction, could to do little else but utter, "Uh, thanks…you, too." She, then, turned on her heel and left the bedroom.

As she walked down the hall and the stairs, the clicking of her heels echoing off the walls, she pondered how tonight might go. She wondered about the people she would meet; would they be friendly? Would they be freaks? Would Edward be able to handle a guy coming on to her? Would she enjoy herself and want to pursue the kind of lifestyle Angela was so comfortable with living and thriving in? Before her head had the chance to explode from all of her inner questions, Alice materialized in the doorway of the kitchen, her face carefully devoid of emotion.

For the first time since she'd known Alice, Bella was somewhat wary of her. She could finally see what Jacob, and the rest of the Pack, was trying to warn her about.

Then, Alice spoke, in an equally blank voice, "You look nice…try not to have too much fun."

Bella, not sure what to say to that, mumbled, "Uh, thanks…I think."

As she spoke, Bella watched as the mask slipped slightly from Alice's face, replaced by a mixture of remorse, sadness, and resignation. What the hell?

"Bella, you know that I love you, right? I mean, we all love you…so whatever you choose to do, we'll still love you, okay?"

With that cryptic message, Alice lightly touched Bella's shoulder and disappeared up the stairs.

What the hell was up with Alice and Edward? First, Edward was hiding things from her and now Alice was being creepy and cryptic. Bella was determined to get to the bottom of this, before she went bat shit crazy!

Just then, Edward appeared at her side and took her elbow to guide her out of the door, and down the stairs. Before they made it to the car, Bella paused and turned to face Edward.

"Hey, do you know what's going on with Alice? Before you came down, she was acting kind of weird…did she say anything when she passed you in the hallway?"

Edward, in the process of hitting the 'unlock' button on the security remote, swung his head to look at her with an unreadable expression on his face. After studying her face, and obviously satisfied with what he found there, he answered, "No, she didn't…what did she say to you?"

Bella, exasperated with his charades, said, in a clipped tone, "You're a vampire, you have superior hearing so I know, that you know what was said! What, in the hell, is going on in this house? Why are you and Alice acting so strangely? Why are you lying and hiding things from me? I'm your wife, aren't you supposed to "honor" me? That was in the vows that we said to each other and you are not holding up your end of the bargain! Stop lying to me and tell me what's going on!"

Edward, momentarily taken back by her tone and rant, narrowed his eyes and replied accusingly, "And what about you? You're hiding something from me, aren't you? Don't stand here and act like you're completely just and innocent because you have secrets, too!"

Bella, at a loss for words, opened and closed her mouth a few times, before shooting back childishly, "Whatever…just unlock the fucking door so we can go."

"I thought so," he retorted before punching the button on the remote.

Bella, still seething and reeling from their argument, yanked the door to the car open, slid into the seat, and slammed the door shut.

Edward, still standing outside by the driver's side door, silently communicated with Alice, who was still inside.

_**"Why did you say what you said to her? Now she's suspicious and knows that we're hiding things from her!"**_

_**"Edward, if you didn't want her to be suspicious, you should have told her when you first found out! This is your fault…you had better figure out a way to fix this. Or do you not want to fix it? Are you purposely sabotaging your marriage because of the vision? Please tell me you're not that stupid!"**_

_**"Alice, don't be ridiculous! Of course I want to fix it…I'm just trying to protect Bella…if I tell her about you not being able to see her future anymore, she's going to go ballistic, start worrying, and think that someone's going to succeed in killing her…I can't allow that to happen to her. Just let me figure out what's going on first, okay?"**_

_**"Whatever, Edward. Don't come moaning to me when this comes back to bite you in the ass, because all I'm going to say is 'I told you so'!"**_

Edward chose to ignore that last comment, opened the door, slid into his seat, and shut the door. Instead of starting the car, he turned his body towards Bella and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say a word, Bella unfolded one of her arms, held up her hand and said frostily, "I don't want to hear it. Start the fucking car and let's go." She, then, refolded her arms tightly across her chest and turned her face towards the window.

Edward started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

_**End of Flashback**_

When they were a block away from their destination, Bella whipped out her phone to call Angela. The call connected and Bella heard some kind of sultry, hypnotic music on the other end. Whispering, clicking heels, the metallic clink of a doorknob being turned, the muffled thud of a closing door, and then silence greeted Bella's ear before Angela spoke breathlessly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ang…uh, I'm sure I don't even **_want_** to know what that was about! We're almost there, about a block away, actually."

"Okay, cool! I'm on my way, as soon as I let **_him _**know, so we can meet you guys outside."

"Okay, see you in a minute," Bella said, before she hung up the phone.

They finally pulled up to a gigantic building that sat directly on the corner of two streets. While Edward was handing the keys over to a valet, Bella took in the sight before her.

The building was made out of faded red masonry bricks, with four rows of narrow rectangular windows wrapping around it. At the four corners of the building sat octagonal towers and, at the end of the tower at the back right, a portion of the massive structure had an arched top, with several sets of the narrow windows following the arch. There were bricks sticking out of the building in a random pattern, much like a rock-climbing wall. It was an impressive and intimidating piece of architecture.

While Bella looked over the building, Edward finished up with the valet, and walked over to stand next to her. He let out an appreciative whistle and said, "Esme would love this. This was an architectural feat."

Before Bella could reply, she heard a female voice that she recognized as Angela's, call her name. Before she could turn to see who was calling her, she heard Edward let loose a sharp hiss before he sneered under his breath, "So it is **_them_**…"

Bella, distracted by Edward's uttered words, didn't see as Angela and her companion approached. Instead, she turned to face Edward and asked, "Who are you talking about?"

He didn't answer her. Instead, he looked over her head, menacingly, at Angela's companion, who let loose a growl that rattled Bella's nerves and made her light headed and weak in the knees. She recognized that sound; it was etched into her memories from all the time she had spent down in La Push after Edward left her. It was a deep, angry, feral sound that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"Bella, are you okay?" Angela asked worriedly.

Bella quickly composed herself before she turned around, head down and eyes safely closed. "Yeah, I'm fine…just talking to Edward about something."

"You sure?" Angela pressed.

"Sure, sure…" Bella supplied, afraid to look up. Edward was stock still behind her.

"Well, okay, if you say so. I have someone that I want you to meet!" Angela said, excitedly. "This is-"

Before she could get the introduction out, a familiar deep voice spoke, "Bella and I already know each other. No introductions needed."

Bella's eyes shot open and her head snapped up to stare straight into the angry, and incredulous, grey eyes of Embry Call.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Disclaimer: I so don't own the Saga...if I did, then I would've dropped the zero and gotten with the hero! Jacob Black to the rescue!_**

**_A/N: Okay, so I know that it's been a while since I've updated this story...RL has completely and thoroughly kicked my ass this month. She's been a bitch and I'm not liking her, not one little bit, right now...I've found a prereader, the wonderful ShavehC, and a beta, the incomparable Twiticulate...without them, this chapter would still be in the works. I STILL haven't found my flash stick, so Chapter 6 might be a while...sorry in advance! Now, on with the show!_**

_**Chapter 5**_

Edward tried to pull Bella behind his back for protection, but she was still caught in the snare that was the dog's stare. She was still as a statue, and he was sure that the only way he'd be able to guard her was to physically move her. He couldn't do that without making a scene, so he had no choice but to let the stare down continue. Angela finally broke the tense standoff by clearing her throat.

"Okay? Well may I ask how you two know each other?" She looked from Bella to Embry for enlightenment.

Embry spoke through tight lips, his deadly stare moving from Bella to lock onto Edward.

"She used to hang in La Push, with us, after **_he_** left." He sneered, gaze still piercing Edward, "This is the first time I've seen her in five years."

Edward winced, hearing the full explanation loud, clear, and meant for him, in his head:

_**He, being the selfish asshole that he is, ran off and almost got himself killed, by a bunch of royal leeches. So off she went, running to save his sorry ass, even though she didn't owe him a damn thing…leaving us behind. You would think that he would have learned a lesson about his selfishness, wouldn't you? But no he didn't. Because as soon as they returned, he wouldn't allow her to visit us anymore. So like the good little sheep that she is, she went right along with it.**_

"Really?" Angela asked. "Bella and I attended, and graduated from, the University of Washington together! She's the friend that I've been telling you about for the past couple of years. We're always having lunch and coffee together…I thought I mentioned it to you!"

"No, you didn't, and it's something that I should have known. You will make up for this discrepancy later," Embry stated.

"Yes, Master," Angela said, eyes downcast and cheeks tinged pink.

"So, Bella, what did you major in?" Embry inquired, directing his attention back to Bella.

Bella, who'd been silently watching Embry, eyes roving and taking in his impeccable, and still massive appearance, wet her lips before speaking.

"I majored in Early Childhood Education…I teach Kindergarteners here in the city…" she trailed off, looking wistful.

"She gushes all the time about how wonderful her students are. She really loves them. I secretly think that she wants kids of her own, one day!" Angela teased.

Bella and Edward cringed while Embry scoffed. "Sure, sure…" he said sarcastically.

_**Great! She wants kids, but she wants to be with the undead. Talk about a 'life or death situation'! **_**_But at least she's still human…HOLY SHIT! She's still human! I've got to-_**

As if just remembering that Edward could read his mind, his thoughts disappeared, cut off abruptly.

"Kitten, I've got something to take care of…are you going to be okay by yourself, with them?" He asked, silently warning Edward.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? It's not like they're gonna drag me into an alley and have their way with me!" She chuckled at her own joke. No one else laughed. Her laughter trailed off uncomfortably as she looked at her three companions.

Embry growled low in Edward's direction while grabbing Angela, around her waist, and rubbing his hands up and down her sides while nuzzling the spot between her neck and shoulder, nipping and lightly lapping. Covering her in his scent…**_marking his territory._**

"Master!" Angela giggled.

"I just wanted to leave you with something to think about while I'm gone," he lied smoothly, then turned and walked off, leaving Angela looking after him, dazed and flushed.

Edward scoffed while Angela shook off the effects of Embry's actions. He should've known that the mutt would act uncivilly. After all, they are mortal enemies. But, basically **_peeing _**on Angela's leg was a bit much…as if he would act on what the girl had suggested! He had morals and standards…unlike some. But then he thought about the turn that Embry's thoughts had taken. What had he remembered that made him hurry off?

Angela, after composing herself, questioned, "Well ladies and gents, are we ready to proceed into the party?"

Bella looked up at Edward, who nodded his head resolutely, before answering in an uncertain voice, "Yeah, I guess we are."

At Bella's hesitant assent, Angela led them up to the roped off door-less entrance and handed their invitations to the concierge, who crossed their names off of the clip boarded list. "They're with me."

"Very well, Ms. Weber," the concierge said, before nodding to a huge tuxedoed man to remove the rope barring the doorway for them to enter.

As soon as the group stepped over the threshold, Bella stopped and looked around in awe. The entrance gave way to a marble staircase, framed by brick walls that were mounted with oak handrails. The darkness was penetrated by a set of sconces attached directly across from one another on the walls, and light pouring in from the three sets of heavy oak and glass doors situated at the top of the staircase.

With a hand resting on the small of her back, Edward guided Bella up the stairs, to the middle set of doors, where he held one of the heavy doors open, ushering the two women in before him. They stood in the middle of a vast marble-floored entrance hall, which was really a bridged walkway over the massive dining area. At the end of the walkway was a set of doors, more than likely bathrooms, and two more staircases that branched off to lead upstairs.

Angela interrupted Bella's perusal, pointing during her explanation. "Those are bathrooms down there at the end, if you need to go. Up those stairs are playrooms, where couples and groups can engage in scenes. You can even observe some of them! Each room has a main entrance but connects to a separate, hidden hallway with windows. If the group or couple doesn't want to be observed, then they close the drapes...if they do...well, obviously, the drapes remain open. But be careful up there, some scenes would be considered brutal to you."

Bella tried to swallow through a suddenly dry throat before nodding and continuing her observations.

A mammoth chandelier hung from the ceiling above them and two smaller ones were placed to the right and left, casting more light over the room. Another set of marble staircases, set on opposite sides in the middle of the bridge, branched off to lead down into the dining area. Bella looked over the railing, down at the eighty or so black clothed tables that were neatly arranged throughout the vast refectory. Each table had a tall glass vase with blood red and purple-black flowers serving as centerpieces that were ringed with lit tea lights. Six black cushioned, high backed chairs were assembled at every table. As Angela led them down one of the staircases, Bella turned around and looked up to where they had been standing at the railing; the bridge, which was held up by colossal white columns, had two more crystal chandeliers hanging underneath. It was breathtakingly beautiful and Angela had to tap Bella's shoulder to get her to continue down the stairs.

The three continued on, passing other couples, groups, and single people, following Angela to their waiting table. The table was positioned directly under one of the smaller chandeliers and had place markers with their names on them that designated where they were to sit. They took their seats, Edward to the left of Bella, Angela to her right, and Embry's empty seat on Angela's right. Melodious, tinkling music could be heard in the background. Combined with the muted lighting of the chandeliers and soft flickering of the tea lights, it all amassed to give the atmosphere a romantic touch. It almost made her want to give in, be amorous, and hold Edward's hand. **_Almost_**.

As if he were thinking the same thing, Edward's hand twitched in her direction before he dropped it into his lap. Would she want him to touch her? Would she touch him back? Was she even still attracted to him? Edward looked over at Bella to find her looking at him, the questions unmistakable in his golden eyes. She dropped her eyes to her lap and cleared her throat nervously. She couldn't give in, let him dazzle her, and continue to lie to her. And she knew for a fact that he was lying, he and Alice, and that was completely unacceptable.

"Ang, this is magnificent. Thank you so much for inviting us. This building is fantastic! From the outside, you really would never think that it would look like this on the inside! It's gorgeous…look at these chandeliers!" Bella prattled, trying to hide her nervousness.

Edward chuckled at her babbling, "Love, calm down…you're going to pass out if you don't take a breath soon!"

Bella rolled her eyes and continued on, eyeing Angela's green dress. "I didn't get to tell you how beautiful you look in that dress! It contrasts with your skin and makes you glow."

Angela laughed, "You must be nervous…that's why you're talking so much, huh?"

"Yeah, a little…I'm still in shock over seeing Embry and I really don't know what to expect tonight," Bella reluctantly admitted. "Speaking of Embry, why didn't you tell me that you knew him? The least you could've done was warn me ahead of time! I wouldn't have been caught so off guard!"

"Well, it really didn't come up until we had the 'lifestyle choices' discussion. And as far as what to expect tonight, just go with what you're comfortable seeing and doing. We aren't freaks trying to turn you out or make you do what you don't want to do. Just relax and have fun!"

As Edward listened to the two women talking, he tried to hone in on Angela's thoughts about the "lifestyle discussion", to see what Bella had confided in her about, but her thoughts were consumed with where her night was going to lead to with Embry. He quickly tuned her out when the thoughts took a turn for the worst: Angela, in a latex body suit, with her wrists and ankles bound to a bed, were not thoughts that he wanted to be privy to!

Tuning out his oblivious, chattering companions, Edward let his eyes rove slowly over the room, people watching. Watching the people in this setting, who lived the lifestyle that they did, came with a price: being in on their innermost thoughts and desires. Most weren't so bad; loving thoughts and feelings about their partner, or partners, emitted from most. Then there were others; deep and dark desires, things that if he wasn't a vampire would make him blush in embarrassment or his stomach heave in disgust. And then there was one…that was, at first, a thought, but came out in a whisper, disbelievingly to an ear, and rippled to other shocked, excited, and even lustful ears. When it finally reached their table, Embry had silently returned to take his seat next to Angela, a smug smirk on his face, no doubt from the whispers that had also reached his sensitive ears. As he turned to gauge Edward's reaction, the whisper, that had puzzled and perplexed Edward, finally made complete sense and made his nonexistent blood run cold. Everything that had baffled him about Bella's future and the past three years were made startlingly clear in that very moment...

"The Alpha's here!"


	6. Chapter 6

**_Disclaimer: I do not own…if I did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction about my own shit! I'd be drunk as hell at 6:42 a.m.! Hell, its Happy Hour somewhere in the world!_**

**_A/N: Fuck! I know I've kept you guys waiting for this chapter and I know that you don't want to hear, or read, the gory details...just know that RL is a true bitch and has pissed in my Cheerios! Many thanks to all of you who have read, reviewed, alerted, and favorited this story…without you, I'd just be some angry Twilight fan, burning S. Meyer's books (except for The Host…pretty awesome!) and dancing on the ashes…but, y'all have given me a healthier outlet for my displeasure and seem to be enjoying it so, for that, I thank you. As always, I'm thanking the best fucking Beta in the world, Twiticulate, for taking the time between dealing with a teenager and a toddler, to look over this shit, and not telling me that she quits because I whine and procrastinate too much…and I'm thanking the fabulous ShavehC for pre reading it and also not telling me that I whine and procrastinate too much…she's my inspiration for writing this story…check out her story, "My Perfect Dom"…pretty awesome shit, folks. Now, on with the show!_**

**_Chapter 6_**

Jacob Black attended the munch in Seattle with the intent of having a little fun. He never kept Subs for very long, and certainly had never collared one. They were always too demanding, too boring, or so inexperienced that they had to be taught. He **_really_** didn't have the patience to deal with that. He wanted someone who knew what she was doing, who knew how to please him when and how he wanted, no teaching required. He really wasn't here to find what he was looking for, but that night he got **_way_** more than what he had bargained for.

*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*

Jacob was in the middle of chatting up a gorgeous, caramel-skinned Sub when Embry, agitated, trembling, and reeking of bloodsucker, came stalking up to him. Jacob immediately stood up and pulled his best friend to a corner of the private play room that he and the woman were in.

"Dude, what, in the fuck, is up with you? How did you even find me?" His nostrils flared, his nose taking in the stench that he hadn't smelled in quite some time, but was forever etched in his memories. "And why do you **_reek _**of **_him_**?" Jacob growled.

Then, he caught a whiff of something else…**_her_** smell. It was faint, tinged with Eau de Death, but distinct and still there. With that smell, the echoes of past heartache and pain seeped through him. Then Jacob's blood boiled. He had given up on her long ago and she's showing up now? Even as his mind told him that he'd gotten over her, his heart gave a painful lurch, telling a different story. Jacob shook his head, trying to shake off the effects of his warring halves. Embry continued, telling him what his mind and heart already knew.

"Bro, **_she's _**here…with the undead man! Ang invited her and 'dead man walking'! I had no fucking clue that she and Ang were even in touch!" Embry exclaimed in disbelief. "I'm so putting Angela on restriction for this shit!"

What Embry let loose next made his head spin and him plop down into the nearest chair, his head resting in his large hands. As his mind blanked, uncomprehending, his traitorous heart leaped for joy.

"Dude, get this…she's still **_human_**…

8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8

**_Five Years Earlier:_**

Jacob had had enough of the games. He was sick of playing second string to **_him_**. He had put her back together when that filthy, reeking, wolf chew toy left her in pieces. Hell, he'd almost died for her and what did she do? She'd come to him, while he was healing from injuries that he'd sustained fighting those freaky newborns that the emo 'love of her life' had brought down on them all, to tell him that she loved him, but it wasn't enough! How much more could his poor heart take? His mind made the decision before he could even think it through.

He had to get out of here.

Jacob packed up what little he had into the Rabbit, stuck all the money that he had to his name in his wallet, kissed his dad goodbye, and got into his car. From his seat, he took one last look at the little red house where he'd created most of his best and worst memories.

Billy rolled out onto the weathered porch to watch his son double check everything before rolling down the passenger side window to wave and yell out, "Love you, Dad." Before Billy could respond, Jacob was gone in a cloud of dust and a glow of taillights. He sat out on the porch long after the car had disappeared, in his lap a wooden, russet colored wolf that he and Jacob had worked on together. Turning his tearful eyes to the carving, he whispered, "Be safe, Son. I hope you find what you're looking for."

8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8

Jacob drove east until he hit Michigan, stopping only to gas up, eat, and relieve himself. He'd done his research on schools and Ferris State University in Grand Rapids was a great school. Added bonuses were that there was no Bella breaking his heart and it was far enough away for him to be undetectable to the Pack. There was no one here who knew him…he was just another face in a crowd of faces, and that suited him just fine.

So for the next four years, Jacob was on his grind; double majoring, taking extra and summer classes, and working odd jobs for extra money. He was exhausted all of the time, but it paid off because before he knew it he was graduating, with Masters in Automotive and Mechanical Engineering. Graduation day was bittersweet for him. Walking across the stage, he was conflicted…he was sad that there was no one from home there to cheer him on; the Pack, his dad…Bella. No one. But as he shook the Dean's hand and accepted his two diplomas, he perked up. He'd done this…with help from no one! He was in control of his future and fate, not the wolf, and not some mystical hocus pocus that his ancestors had decided on.

After graduation, Jacob decided to move back to La Push to be closer to his father and friends. He was going to work in a mechanic's shop, but ultimately decided it would be a waste of all his time in school and a disservice to his community, so he used his freshly earned degree, connections with some great people, and sheer determination to open up his own business. At first he just rebuilt engines to make them more eco-friendly but when Seth, Collin, and Brady came to him with the concept and design for a new engine that basically had no harmful emissions, he started looking at his pack mates in a different light. Seth, Collin, and Brady had the brains for concept designing; Embry and Quil were the muscle for building; surprisingly, Jared and Paul had the brains for computers; Leah had a thing for numbers. And Jacob had the know how to put it all together and make it run like a well-oiled machine. So, with the many talents of the Pack, Black Wolf Industries was born.

Within the first year of business, Black Wolf Industries was doing business with several big name companies that wanted to overhaul the old technology in their water and air crafts to make them more efficient and cost effective.

With the business moving up the ranks, Black Wolf Industries was well on its way to being a Fortune 500 Company.

Jacob running away had turned out to be the best thing that happened to him, the pack, and the reservation.

**_End of Flashback_**

Jacob was brought back to the present by Embry's fingers snapping in front of his face.

"Bro, snap the fuck out of it! What in the hell are we going to do?" Embry asked, still agitated.

Jacob thought about the reasons why Bella could possibly be here. Then it hit him and a cocky smirk adorned his face as he watched Embry pace back and forth.

"You said that she and Angela have been going to lunch and shit, right? And now she's here, with the dead man? How much do you want to bet that the dead man isn't giving it to her like she wants? He's afraid to hurt her but, it's not satisfying her, so she turned to Angela for help…and she brought the dead man with her so he could learn a few things. Oh, this is too fucking perfect!"

Embry stopped pacing and looked his Alpha in the eye. "I know that look…what do you have in mind?"

"You'll see. Now if you'll excuse us, this lovely lady and I have a matter to attend to…"

Embry took the hint and left.

Jacob got out of the chair and walked over to the previously forgotten Sub, who'd been watching the men's exchange curiously. He took her by the hand, led her over to the bed, and undressed her. He ordered her to lie on her back then fitted her wrists and ankles into the restraints, leaning over her to growl into her ear.

"You'll want something to anchor you to the bed, because this will be an out of body experience…a ride you'll never forget."

Before he got started, he made sure to open the heavy drapes on the observation window. Just in case...


	7. Chapter 7

**_Disclaimer:__ I do not own...if I did, I'd sic Alpha Jake (either the wolf or the man...doesn't matter) on my ex...asshole..._**

**_A/N: Alright ladies (and gents, if there are any...don't wanna leave you guys out!), here's Chapter 7! The long awaited, highly waited, 'better-be-effing-worth-it' Chapter 7! I'm so sorry about the long ass wait...RL, if I EVER find out who you are, I'm gonna personally choke you out! But, it hasn't been all bad...I FINALLY found a freaking job! So thank God for that...I needed one! _**

**_Thank you guys for all of the favorites, alerts, hits, and reviews that you've given this story...without you all supporting it, it would've crumbled into dust by now...thank you for wanting to read about a Dirty!Jake and a LightbulbFinallyWentOff!Bella...makes me happy dance in my seat!  
><em>**

**_Oh, and this chapter is unbeta'd and unpreread...soooo...yeah...my beta and pre reader pulled an 'Amelia Earhart' on me so I'm flying by the seat of my pants here...excuse the grammatical errors...but, I love 'em anyway and I'm sure they'll be around for the next chapter. Now, on with the freaking show!_**

**_Chapter 7_**

Bella sat at the table with Edward, Angela, and Embry, making idle chatter with one and trying to avoid looking into the eyes of the other two. She could feel Edward staring at her, boring holes into her temple, but she couldn't look at him right now. So, she polished off her third glass of wine and the small bowl of delicious seafood stew that was served as the third of the seven course meal.

When the servers came around to collect the used dishes and refill the crystal goblets, Bella suddenly wondered if she had enough time to use the restroom and wander around. Her hunger was satiated, due to combination of the three courses so, if dinner was served in her absence, it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

Bella whipped around to ask, "Hey, Ang…how much longer will it take for the main course to arrive?"

Angela, in the middle of pleading with Embry about something, turned towards Bella. "Um, I'm not entirely sure." Angela looked back at Embry, "Master, do you know what time the main course will get here?"

Embry, instead, directed his answer and stare at Bella. "Probably in a few minutes…no more than five at the most. Why?"

Bella hesitated, wavering under Embry's penetrating stare, but answered, "I just wanted to take a walk…look around, you know? It's very beautiful in here."

Embry's expression turned from indecipherable to smug before he quickly schooled his features into a blank mask. He then answered, "Yeah, why don't you do that? There are sure to be marvels that will take your breath away."

Bella didn't catch onto the innuendo but Edward did. So he erred on the side of caution and broke in to the conversation, placing a restraining hand on her thigh. "Love, I don't think that it's a good idea for you to be walking around by yourself…I'll come with you."

Bella internally cringed at his suggestion. God, he was about to ruin her buzz! She didn't want him to come with her so she had to come up with an excuse quick and fast.

"I'll be fine by myself. Besides, you've hardly touched your food, and you know how you get when you're ravenous...so you should wait for the main course. I'll be back a little later."

With that, she stood up from her seat, after giving Edward a warning glare, placed her napkin on her plate, and made a beeline for the stairs. Embry's boisterous laughter and Edward's look of shock and betrayal trailed behind her.

At the top of the stairs, she walked to the end of the hall, opposite the main entrance, trying to remember which doors Angela said were the bathrooms. But the three glasses of wine were making her brain fuzzy. So, unknowingly and completely bypassing the twin bathroom doors, she ascended one of the identical flights of stairs and walked around a corner. Instead of a conveniently placed bathroom door, there was a long hallway, illuminated with more of the same crystal chandeliers from downstairs; the light bouncing off of the crystal doorknobs of the shiny oak doors that were lined on either side.

Bella was sure that there was a bathroom up here somewhere, so she rounded the corner, heading back toward the stairs and stopped, her interest piqued. There were twin doors on opposite sides of the entryway of the long hall she'd just come from. She turned the knob of the door in front of her and pulled the heavy oak open. The hallway was dim, save for the light being emitted from the last in the row of large windows lining the left side of the passage, and upholstered chairs lined up in front of each window on the right side.

The light was calling to her, like the full moon to a wolf so, her feet, not giving a damn about her bladder, ghosted along carpet, towards the window.

Embry, the smug bastard, was right.

Bella's mouth went dry and her underwear became soaked, her core weeping profusely. She legs shook so badly she had to sink down into one of the chairs.

There, beyond the heavy, ornate, red drapes framing the window, bathed in the soft light coming from lamps sitting on twin nightstands, was a man, naked from the waist up, pleasuring a nude woman as if it were his job. And the woman certainly wasn't complaining, even though she was strapped by her wrists and ankles to the massive King-sized cherry wood elevated bed. She woman was beautiful; smooth, caramel colored skin that glistened with sweat, long dark brown hair that had a widow's peak and was plastered to her shoulders and heart shaped face. The skin between her perfectly arched eyebrows was creased and her eyes were squeezed shut in pleasure so Bella couldn't see what her eye color was. Her nose was flat and broad but somehow dainty; her lips very full and opened in obvious pleasure. Her torso consisted of breasts were large and topped with puckered milk chocolate nipples, and tapered down to a small waist with a flat stomach. Bella deduced that the woman was of African American descent based on the skin coloring and distinguishable features.

The man, on the other hand, had his bare back to the window so Bella couldn't make out his features. But, oh, what a back it was! He was very tall, at the very least six and a half feet, with long, mid back length, raven-colored hair, hanging loose around his shoulders; a very broad and muscular pair of shoulders connected to an equally broad and muscular back that tapered down to a trim waist. His very fine ass was encased in a pair of dark washed worn denim jeans, and his feet were bare. The bulging and rippling muscles of his back, shoulders, and arms were swathed in gloriously russet colored skin.

How many people were here that had that same colored skin? Bella frowned slightly, her forehead crinkling in thought. Unfortunately, deep thought was close to impossible, as her attention was brought back to forefront of her inebriated mind as the man shifted in his stance, his back still to her.

He had the middle and ring fingers of his left hand inserted into the woman's slit and, with his right, was spanking her clit with what Bella could swear was a riding crop!It looked painful and harsh but the woman was obviously enjoying it because every time he brought the crop down onto her bundle of nerves, the woman's back arched, her body writhed, and her legs quivered. The man lowered the riding crop to his side then leaned over; his left hand became stationary while still encased in the woman's dripping pussy, and whispered into her ear. The woman snapped her eyes open and nodded her head frantically. Her hazel-colored eyes then darted to the man's face, gazing into his eyes as he resumed his wicked handiwork.

Without warning, the woman's stomach convulsed, her chest reached for the ceiling, and she threw her head back. With lightning speed, the man removed his fingers and quickly stepped back from between the woman's legs at the same time that fluid shot out of her pussy. Bella's eyes widened and she snatched herself upright in her chair, inebriation momentarily forgotten. She'd never saw anything like this before! What the hell…?

Before Bella could think on it hard enough, the man shook his head slowly back and forth at the now contrite but still writhing woman. Bella watched, fascinated, as the woman clearly pleaded with the man, even while aftershocks plagued her body. The man, who'd walked over one of the three massive matching cherry wood armoires that adorned the room, turned back to the still pleading woman, his hair obscuring the side of his face, and brought one finger to his lips. The woman's mouth snapped closed. The man continued on his way and opened the doors of the armoire wide enough for Bella to see what was inside. There, laying and hanging on the black velvet interior, by hooks of various sizes, were disciplinary implements; whips and more riding crops, paddles, leather straps, reed canes, things that looked like multi-stranded whips, and things that looked like feather dusters. Bella could swear she saw some rulers and yardsticks thrown in! The tools were made of different materials, which made Bella's forehead crease in confusion.

She and Angela had talked, on various occasions about this lifestyle, and Bella herself had done limited research of the idea, but she never really learned about the purpose of the implements that Bella saw in the armoire. How could one possibly use these instruments during sex and enjoy it? But, from what she'd seen so far, and if Edward wielded a riding crop the way this man could, she'd take everything else willingly!

The man ran the index finger of his right hand across the items, searching, until he paused and shook his head. He then stood and walked back over to the bed, crouched down, and pulled out a black and chrome attaché from underneath. He opened it and pulled out what looked to be one of the multi-stranded whips. But, Bella's attention focused on it not because the man held it up, but because of its appearance. It looked handmade and Native American inspired with the handle looking as if it were carved from an elk antler, right down to the tanned leather strands with little turquoise beads attached to the ends. It suited the man, perfectly.

He held it up and ran his fingers through the strands, fingering one of the beads on the end, before slapping it against his hand repeatedly and simultaneously getting to his feet. The woman's eyes, which had stayed glued to the man, widened before they darkened with lust, her chest heaved, her pelvis rocked back and forth, and she pulled at her restraints.

The man's chest shook with what Bella imagined was a deep, dark chuckle. God, how she wished she could see his face, his expressions, but his hair was continuously concealing it as if it had a mind of its own, falling into place just when she thought she'd caught a glimpse of what she could swear were full, plump, pouty lips or the straight lines of a distinguished but perfect nose. It was driving her mad! All the while, there was a niggling sensation, a radar, some kind of bell going off in the back of her mind that his physique was one that she knew very well…but, she paid no attention to it. Instead, she sat back to enjoy the rest of the show.

The man had set the multi-stranded whip on one of the nightstands and walked over to the bed. He unshackled the woman's wrists and ankles, slowly, only to flip her over onto her stomach, chain her wrists, and positioned her so that she was on her knees, sideways on the bed, her chest down and her ass in the air.

OH! Bella remembered this position and remembered it well! So well, it caused the pulsing in her core to intensify.

The man turned to grab the multi-stranded whip off of the nightstand then returned to his previous position behind the woman, caressing and fingering the whip. He must have spoken because Bella saw the woman shake and then emphatically nod her head, her hair moving about wildly and covering her face. The man then trailed the strands of the whip up and down the woman's back before he, with a practiced swish and flick of his wrist, brought down onto her ass. He repeated the action again and again, flicking his wrist, the beads and strands splaying out and covering every inch of flesh. What looked to Bella like pain, with the slightly red marks marring the caramel flesh, was obviously pleasure to the woman. She threw her head back following each strike; hair flying, moist lips parted, eyes closed slightly, and hands clenching the restraints.

After the tenth blow, the man sat the whip aside and caressed the woman's reddened ass with his left hand, while the index and middle fingers of his right slid down to her slit. The woman moved her body back, trying to force his fingers where she needed them most, but the man wasn't having it. He removed his fingers, slick and shining with the woman's juices, and brought his hand down to smack her on the ass. He spoke again because the woman nodded her head insistently and he stepped back to go to the bedside table. He opened the drawer, removed something, and turned back towards the bed once again.

Suddenly, the woman lay down on her stomach and the man slipped something that looked like a bunch of straps attached to a small, purple object up her legs. The woman then got back on her knees and the man adjusted the leg straps so that the purple object was centered onto her clit. He then reached to the side, retrieved what looked like a tiny remote, and pushed a couple of buttons. Pretty soon, the woman's legs were quivering and her stomach was convulsing. Meanwhile, the man placed the remote back on the bed, brought his hands to the waistband of his jeans and released the button.

Bella's eyes widened and she sucked in a sharp breath as the man released his enormous manhood from the confines of his jeans. How it all fit in there, she'd more than likely ponder that for as long as she lived. It was a thing of beauty; slightly darker than the rest of him, it proudly stood at attention, aiming directly toward the woman's slit. He caressed it lovingly while retrieving a golden foil packet from the hip pocket of his jeans before letting them, and his underwear, hit the floor and stepping out of them.

He tore open the packet with his teeth, rolled the condom down onto his dick, and stepped up to the quivering mass on the bed. He steadied her bucking hips with his left hand, grabbed his dick with his right and slid it up and down her slit, her juices lubing and shining the latex. He then began easing into her slit, his exceptional ass clenching and releasing with every thrust, no doubt trying to get her used to his size.

When he finally slid completely in, that's when all hell broke loose.

He gripped her hips with both of his hands, readjusted his stance on the floor, and started slamming her back onto his dick, the impact of each thrust making ripples that travelled from where her ass was slamming into his pelvis all the way up her back. He released her hips and dropped his hands to his sides, his hips thrusting forcefully back and forth, sweat plastering his hair to his arms, chest, and back. The woman's hands and teeth gripped the sheets of the bed momentarily before she laid her head down, her face turned toward Bella. Eyes squeezed shut, mouth opened and moving, forming around what Bella could almost hear as begging and pleading, her body convulsing with waves of her many orgasms, courtesy of the man pounding away behind her.

Bella was so mesmerized by the scene playing out in front of her that she didn't notice when her legs parted, her hands palming and teasing her own breasts, then creeping under her dress, and her fingers slipping her sopping wet panties to the side. What she did notice was that the man had started spanking the woman with his hand, synchronized perfectly with each thrust. Bella's lips parted and she started moaning along with every spank and thrust, her fingers circling faster and faster around her clit. She then moved her other hand down and thrust her ring and middle fingers into her slit, her hands thrusting and circling in time to the scene in front of her. She was on the cusp of her climax, the heat of it searing the pit of her stomach and trying to reach down into her pelvis.

The man slowed his movements to a stop, tapped the woman twice on the ass, causing her to look over her shoulder at him, to which he nodded his head, signaling her to move up on the bed. He then climbed up on his knees behind her, still embedded inside of her, leaned over her back to unlatch her restraints, and pulled her up so that her back was flush against his chest. He sat back on his haunches, with her knees on either side of his and readjusted the toy so that it once again lay flush against her clit. His large hands smoothed her hair back from her sweaty face, chest, and arms, gathering and moving it so that it fell over one shoulder. She leaned her head to the side, cradled against his shoulder while his mouth assaulted the exposed surface of her neck. He wrapped his arms around her torso, his hands palming her breasts and pulling at her nipples, before bringing both hands down to her waist.

Then he resumed his thrusting, her breasts bouncing with each movement, his hands pulling her down on to his dick, his mouth still assaulting the crook of her neck and her shoulder. She moved her head so that he could assault the other side of her neck, blocking Bella's only view of the side of his face. She then brought her own hands up to caress her breasts, plucking and pulling at the nipples while the man thrust into her, his pace quickening.

Suddenly, the woman's chest expanded, taking in air, and then she was screaming, her body seizing and jerking so hard that the man had to still his movements and wrap his arms securely around her, clutching her lurching body to his.

Bella could've sworn she felt the reverberation of the woman's orgasm through her own body. She could hear the cries of pleasure through the thick glass, reverberating throughout the empty hall. Or maybe they were her own. She came so hard, the white hot tendrils finally reaching from the pit of her stomach down to her pelvis and out to her limbs. She could feel her juices flowing over her fingers, soaking into the fabric of her dress and, more than likely, the chair. She removed her fingers from her core, her chest heaving in exertion, her body wilting and melting into her seat, her eyes heavy lidded and sweat plastering her dress to her body and the escaped tendrils of her hair to her neck. She raised her bleary eyes to the window and willed her wobbly legs to stand up so that she could move closer and fully take in the peculiar scene playing out in front of her.

The woman, who'd been jerking and seizing, was laid out on the bed, suspiciously still. Her chest moved up and down so Bella knew that she was alive, but she looked like she'd…passed out? The man stood over her, manhood still rock hard, shaking his head, his chest indicating that he was chuckling once again. He then turned his face toward the window, a knowing smirk playing around his lips, looking Bella dead in the eyes, giving her the view she'd longed for all night.

Her heart hammered in her chest, trying to punch its way out, the rosy post-coital glow giving way to shocked pastiness. She couldn't take in enough air, her hands turned clammy and the hair stood up on the back of her neck. She backed away from the window, unable to look away, her calves banging into the chair, causing her to drop down into it. If she thought that her legs were weak before, she definitely couldn't will them to hold up her weight now.

Every memory, every dream, every thought and desire came rushing back to her all at once as she stared in amazement at the face beyond the window. She gathered enough air in her lungs to gasp out a single word.

**_"Jacob_**."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Don't own... *sighs***

**A/N:**** I know, I know...you guys missed me and are pissed at me, right?! I'm pissed at myself, too...I don't even feel right trying to make my fingers curve over the keyboard to type out an apology! All I can say is that I missed you guys and it touched my heart that a lot of you PM'd and encouraged me to keep writing in my absence and not to give up. I haven't given up on the story so put down the gardening apparatuses and torches; I've been trying to coax the muse out of her hiding spot with chocolate cake and the promise of being spanked and pleased by one Master Jacob Black. If you were my muse, would that work for you?**

** Okay, here's the LONG AWAITED, elusive Chapter 8, which was beta'd by the lovely Leelator and pre-read by my new partner in dirty, filthy, awesome brainstorming, alh1971! You guys seriously HAVE to thank them for this chapter because it was stuck in my head like I get stuck in skinny jeans. Don't forget to review and let me know what you all think. Now, on with the show!**

**Chapter 8**

It took Bella some time to regain her composure and quit gaping at the newly curtained window. While not breaking eye contact with her, Jacob had drawn the drapes closed.

_**Shit!**_

What was she supposed to do? She couldn't go back down to the dining room in the state she was in. Embry and Edward would know what she'd been up to and her bladder was screaming! The only answer was to find that stupid, elusive bathroom and clean herself up before she ran into one of them. If only she could will her limbs out of their shock-induced state of entropy.

After peeling herself from the moist seat (she hoped that the owner had the chairs steam cleaned on a regular basis) and shakily heading toward the exit door, Bella shivered as she pictured Jacob's smug face. It was the the same but different. Older, definitely and and it showed more stoicism, but his eyes were what stopped her and caused a flicker of heat and renewed arousal to lick down her spine; they held a heady concoction of lust, arousal, wildness, and a knowing expectation.

Bella had no clue as to what he knew or expected but, if she had to hazard a guess, she was doing the right thing - putting some distance between the two before she threw all caution and common sense to the wind and found out. And, Edward be damned, a huge part of her really, really wanted to find out.

She finally reached the door and was stepping into the hall, only to wish she'd waited longer to exit. Edward was standing at the top of the stairs looking around with an expression of worry and anger on his face. When he spotted her coming out of the door, he quickly schooled his features and hurried to her side.

"What have you been doing? It took you so long that I thought that you'd been accosted or-"

"Seriously, Edward? With your mind reading and super senses along with Embry's as well? Do you think that I'm a child or just completely inept? I told you that I was going to find a bathroom and look around. So if you'll excuse me …" She didn't finish but turned and walked away from him to head downstairs.

"Where are you going?" he questioned asked her retreating form.

"To the bathroom Edward," she snapped, never breaking her stride. She just remembered where they were.

"I thought that you already went to the restroom."

That made her pause. Glancing over her shoulder, she took in his confused and wounded expression before facing forward again to hide her guilty and slightly ashamed expression. It was her fault that he was hurting and, for a second, that guilt completely overwhelmed her.

"I got distracted, okay?" With that, she continued on her way.

It was only after he took a breath to calm himself did understanding dawn on Edward - her arousal and a tinge of wet dog, her mussed, disheveled appearance, and the slightly lethargic droop to her eyelids. He ground his teeth in frustration...he was too late to stop them from seeing each other.

Shoulders slumped in defeat, he started towards the stairs when he heard a woman's woozy murmuring - almost disoriented. "What happened, Sir?" she asked.

There was laughter and then a smug reply. "I happened."

_**That voice.**_

A snarl ripped through Edward's chest. He could never, ever forget that voice. Flying down the steps, he realized that he would curse its owner until the end of his existence.

Or kill him.

Whichever came first.

* * *

><p><em><strong>DM*DM*DM<strong>_

Jacob chuckled, picturing Bella's priceless expressions as she bonelessly dropped into the chair, the tendrils of of loose hair fluttering with the sudden movement. Shock, embarrassment, relief, lust - and then there was a flash of something that Jacob couldn't quite place before it was gone. He'd figured it out soon enough and was sure that, since she just saw a smidgen of what he was capable of, she'd come sniffing around. And he'd be waiting.

Jacob knew, just like he'd known so many years ago, that Bella wouldn't, COULDN'T, be happy with the dead man no matter how much she wanted to be so. Edward didn't live, breathe, change or experience things the way humans did, so it was unfathomable and inconceivable to him that what Bella wanted when she was an inexperienced teenager wouldn't be what she wanted when she grew up and experienced life. Jacob could see it as clearly as if he were the pixie psychic leech.

He didn't know how, but he knew that things were about to be different. Maybe it was the pull that he'd felt with Bella, all those years ago, strengthening and gaining ground, making him feel, think, and imagine things that he didn't want to face - things that he'd convinced himself that he'd exorcised and gotten over before he'd become the man he is right now. Back when he still inexperienced enough to believe that it was okay to hope and dream of such.

_That kiss on the mountaintop._

_Their future that she'd seen when she'd come to rip his heart out of his battered body._

_Her writhing in rapture beneath him as he marked and claimed her as his own._

_His own vision of her, belly round and swollen with child, watching from their front porch as he played in the front yard with their first two children._

_**NO!**_

Jacob shook his head slightly to clear it. He had to keep it together because_**she**_ was watching. He could feel her eyes burning a hole into the side of his face so he had to be calm, cool, collected … Alpha Mode.

He chuckled to himself as took in her face once more before he closed the heavy drapery. It was the first of many times that Isabella Marie Swan (no, CULLEN), would get to see but not touch, And, oh how she'd yearn to do so.

He looked over to the Sub, who was starting to come to and walked over to kneel on side of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, stroking her hair back from her moist brow.

She raised her confused eyes to his.

"What happened, Sir?"

Jacob chuckled and then said, "I happened. Now, let's ready ourselves. We have an appearance to make."

He then scooped the dazed woman from amid the messy, tangled bed sheets and carried her into the huge en-suite to begin his after care regime.

* * *

><p><em><strong>DM*DM*DM<strong>_

Bella stared at her reflection in the mirror. Sparkling eyes, disheveled hair, and swollen lips - she looked the part of a truly well fucked woman. Even though she had no supernatural senses, she swore that she could smell the heady scent of sex emanating from her person. Unless she cleaned up her act fast, there was no way she would be able to avoid the rapid-fire questions that Edward would be sure to launch at her.

_**Shit.**_

Thank God that whoever was hosting the party had the forethought to have well-stocked bathrooms! She made the room was empty before disrobing to wash up. What she would give to be able to take a quick shower. Bella wet and soaped one of the hand towels, giving her important parts a swipe, before rinsing the towel to repeat the actions. She then splashed cool water over her face and neck to try to kill the seemingly permanent flush that had taken up residence.

Bella dried off, put her dress back on but paused, looking disdainfully at her sodden underwear. She shrugged, deciding to forgo them, and shoved them into her clutch. Looking at herself in the mirror, she groaned and tried to repair her her hair and makeup.

By the time she'd finished making herself as presentable as she could and hurriedly made her way back down to the dining room, she discovered that two more people had joined their party.

Jacob and the woman.

At. Their. Table.

After that performance that he'd put on.

Bella was pretty sure that she'd involuntarily eyed Jacob like he was her last meal on Earth. He looked scrumptious in a beautifully cut black suit, deep in conversation with Embry. The silken fabric seemed to caress every muscle and powerful line of his body. The black and red shirt and blood red tie contrasted tastefully with the suit, a ruby stick pin inserted into the knot of his tie, and his long hair slicked back into a low ponytail completed his ensemble.

_**Fuck.**_

Bella paused a few yards away, torn between her desire to hightail it out of there, her morbid curiosity to take in the tense atmosphere at the table, and the shameful tendril of hope that Jacob would ogle her the way that she had ogled him a few moments before. Edward was glaring at the wolves with such hate and ferocity that, for a minute, Bella was worried for them. Bella's eyes were drawn to Jacob who, as if he were able to read Edward's thoughts, turned his head to meet the steely topaz gaze. Jacob then dismissed Edward entirely by turning to resume his conversation with Embry. Before Bella could make up her mind whether she'd take her place at the table, Embry caught sight of her, which made Jacob slowly look in her direction, and pin her with his onyx eyes.

Bella was pretty sure that she knew what a dear felt like right before a wolf went in for the kill. She was mesmerized, hypnotized, spellbound; her heart thrummed in her chest, her respiration spiked, and she felt like she'd been sprinting.

_**What. In. The. Entire. Hell?**_

The spell broke when he turned back to talk to Embry, and she immediately slid her gaze to meet Edward's pissed one. Bella could tell that he definitely didn't like the exchange between her and Jacob. She turned towards Angela who, although had engaged the other woman in conversation, eyed Bella worriedly. She gave Angela a small smile and, after internally shaking herself, walked to the table, while Edward stood to pull her chair out.

"So, what did I miss?" she asked, arranging herself in the seat.

"Nothing much. The main course should be served shortly," Angela informed her. "Oh, by the way, this is Amara." Angela gestured to the woman, who stuck her hand out to Bella.

Amara. Even more stunning up close, she was dressed to kill in a strapless black dress, which had a red bodice with black lace overlay. Black spiked Louboutins, smoky eye makeup, and her long hair pinned over one creamy shoulder completed the ensemble. Jealousy flooded Bella's system, and she decided instantly that she hated Amara.

"Hello, nice to meet you -"

"Isabella. Isabella Cullen," she interrupted. "And this is my husband, Edward."

"Nice to meet you both," Amara said, after shaking both of their hands.

"You as well," Bella said, pasting on a saccharine smile. She then turned to Jacob, pulling his attention away from Embry.

"And how are you, sir? Long time, no see."

Jacob smirked at her insipid tone. "I'm well and yourself?"

"_**We're**_ well," she said haughtily.

Bella reached for Edward's hand and clasped it tightly. His slightly shocked and confused face made Bella feel bad but he quickly schooled it into a neutral expression and nodded curtly in agreement.

"That's good to know." He chuckled and turned to Amara, tenderly brushing a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Sir … I feel great … better than I have in quite some time," Amara said, face pleasantly flushed.

"I bet," Bella muttered to herself as she rolled her eyes, jealousy flooding through her once more.

"What was that, love?" Edward questioned, squeezing her hand lightly.

"What?" Bella stammered, slightly embarrassed that she'd been caught.

"I didn't catch what you said."

"Oh … nothing of importance, honey," Bella said, the endearment slipping out before she could stop it. Edward hadn't caught the slip; he almost preened in pleasure, but Bella blanched. She'd never called Edward 'honey' before.

Of their own volition, her eyes snapped up to Jacob's face, only to be snared in his unreadable gaze. But, before her lips could form any words that could break the awkward silence, a woman dressed in a skin tight black sheath dress appeared at a podium that had been set up at the front of the room.

"May I have your attention, please? We have regulars and some new faces out there, so I just want to take the time out to welcome you to our little slice of Heaven."

Bella flushed at that fitting description. _**Slice of Heaven...right.**_

The woman continued, "our main course will be served shortly but, before it comes out, I'd also like to thank the man who made it possible for us like-minded people to come together and mingle. Let's all give a round of applause to Jacob Black!"

The woman gestured toward their table and all eyes shifted in their direction, honing in on Jacob, amid thunderous applause and patrons standing to their feet. Bella's eyes drifted to Jacob, who smiled and nodded in recognition. It dawned on her at that precise moment that this wasn't the same ex-best friend that she'd left behind to chase her supposed 'happily ever after'. No, not at all. He was a man now and she realized that he'd stopped pining over and moved past her. He'd obviously accomplished great things in her absence and the thought made her heart lurch uncomfortably. She didn't know who Jacob Black was anymore and it was entirely her fault. Suddenly, Bella didn't feel so well.

"Love, are you alright?"

Bella was jerked out of her revelry by the icy caress that swept across her back.

Her gaze swept around the room when she finally noticed that, once again the hall had fallen to murmurs and the muted clank of flatware against porcelain. Unbeknownst to her, the main course had been served. The sight of it caused Bella's head to pound and her stomach to roil.

"Um, actually, I'm not feeling too well. I think it's best that we head home." She squirmed uncomfortably against the frigid hand still on her back.

Edward practically melted in relief. "Of course, love." He then leaned in to whisper, "Is a call to Carlisle needed?"

"No, not at all … just a little nausea. Must be from the rich food."

He hurriedly stood and pulled Bella's chair out. "We must take our leave. My wife isn't feeling too well at the moment. We bid you all a goodnight."

Bella looked at Angela apologetically as she stood on shaky legs, "I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Okay. Text me to let me know you both made it home safely."

"Will do. Goodnight, everyone." Bella said, her gaze sweeping the table.

A chorus of 'goodbyes' hit their back as Edward took her elbow and ushered them to the exit.

Bella turned her head to get one last glimpse of Jacob. His dark eyes met hers in a gaze that she imagined, spoke of the uncharted waters between them.

As if they were saying, _**"Soon".**_

Outside of the building, as they waited for the valet to bring their car around, Edward tried to make small talk to fill the awkward silence that had descended upon them.

"So, did you have a good time?"

"Sure, sure," Bella answered, unconsciously falling back into her old habit of wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"Are you sure that you're okay and that I do not need to call Carlisle? You're holding your stomach, love."

"I'm fine, Edward … just tired and a little nausea. Really, it's no big deal, okay?" She said, exasperatedly.

Just then, the valet pulled up to the curb in their car. "I just want to go home and go to bed. I'll be okay in the morning."

Edward nodded, holding the car door open for his wife. She slid into her seat, turning her body, and leaning her head against the window as soon as the door was shut, her eyes closing of their own conation.

Just as his hand made it to the handle to open the driver's side door, he felt a prickling awareness and looked up to see Jacob Black standing just at the mouth of the entrance, his gaze narrowed and focused on Edward. His mouth then curved up into a cold smirk and, with one last flick of his eyes to Bella's still form, he turned and walked back into the building.

Edward growled before getting into the car and slamming the door. He expected a reaction from Bella but none came forth. He looked over to find her curled up in the seat, fast asleep.

She'd missed the whole exchange.

Edward sighed in relief as he put the car in gear and steered them toward their home and away from the man who threatened to send his world into an upheaval.

Unbeknownst to him, his wife was dreaming of that very same man.


End file.
